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Aussies in 57-run winSYDNEY Sunday - Australia beat South Africa by 57 runs in the penultimate game of the Victoria Bitter series under lights at the SCG here, today and allowed Sri Lanka and South Africa to fight out the final berth for a fling in best of three finals when they meet in Hobart on Tuesday. Australia scored 344 for 6 in 50 overs and restricted South Africa to 287 for 6 in their 50. When Australia won the toss on a perfect pitch Adam Gilchrist moved into the South African bowling hitting it unmercifully to all corners of the field and notching his 43rd career fifty and set the tone for a huge Australian score and the game as a batting contest was good as over. At the moment he is in blazing form. He blasted 88 in 66 balls with 14 fours and was unlucky to be out when well on the way to scoring the fastest century in the tournament. He laid the platform and the batsmen following Ricky Ponting 71 in 61 balls with 8 fours (51st career fifty), Damien Martyn 79 in 75 balls with 5 fours (33rd career fifty), Clarke 27 in 37 balls and Hussey 47 not out in 33 balls got the Aussies to a massive score in the 50 overs. The South Africans were compelled to rest all-rounder Shaun Pollock due to a bruised left heal, while the Australians brought in Nathan Bracken for Brett Dorey. Glen McGrath who wants to be with his sick wife did not play and ruled himself out for the rest of the series. The South African bowlers went for a lot of runs with Van der Wath 76 in 10 and Smith 52 in 10. When the South Africans began their chase skipper Smith continued his poor form and again was a Brett Lee bunny being caught behind by Gilchrist for 6 with the score on 7. The batsmen following made an attempt to get to the Aussie score, but the bad start hindered their progress. Although Dippenaar 27 in 29 balls, Gibbs 46 in 54 balls, Boucher 76 in 83 balls with 3 fours and three big sixes, Kemp 28, Price 25, Rudolph 31 and Wath 38 in 16 balls with 2 fours and 4 sixes made a fight of it, they fell short by 57 runs. However, it was a good sign to see the South Africa batsmen, other than for skipper Smith getting into double figures with some positive batting which should hold them in good stead when they play the Lankans in Hobart on Tuesday. Lee again bowled with tremendous speed. But it was Andrew Symonds who had a rare batting failure who bowled best to capture 2 for 42 with his off-spinners. Adam Gilchrist who is slowly getting into his best batting form was named man-of-the-match. Records tumbled when Australia knocked the highest score against the Proteas and the second highest score at the SCG while the Proteas bettered the previous best venue score batting second. AUSTRALIA
A. Gilchrist c Boucher b Langeveldt 88
S. Katich c Kemp b van der Wath 11
R. Ponting c Gibbs b Botha 72
A. Symonds c Hall b Smith 7
D. Martyn run out 79
M. Clarke c Rudolph b Hall 27
M. Hussey not out 47
EXTRAS (LB-4, NB-1, W-8) 13
TOTAL (for 6 wickets, 50 overs) 344
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-65 2-138 3-168 4-203 5-263 6-344
DID NOT BAT: B. Hogg, B. Lee, N. Bracken, S. Clark.
BOWLING: J. van der Wath 10-0-76-1 (w-1),
M. Zondeki 4-0-42-0 (w-2),
A. Hall 10-0-69-1 (w-1), C.
Langeveldt 6-0-49-1 (nb-1 w-2),
G. Smith 10-0-52-1 (w-2),
J. Botha 10-0-52-1.
Overs: 50
SOUTH AFRICA
G. Smith c Gilchrist b Lee 6
B. Dippenaar Hussey b Clark 27
H. Gibbs c Gilchrist b Symonds 46
M. Boucher c Hopes b Symonds 76
J. Kemp c Bracken b Hogg 28
A. Prince run out 25
J. Rudolph not out 31
J. van der Wath not out 37
Extras: (LB7, W2, NB2) 11
TOTAL (6 wkts) 287
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-7, 2-52, 3-105, 4-172, 5-199, 6-236.
DID NOT BAt: A. Hall, J. Botha, C. Langeveldt.
BOWLING: B. Lee 6-0-31-1 (1nb, 1w),
N. Bracken 9-0-51-0 (1w),
S. Clark 10-0-70-1 (1nb),
J. Hopes 5-0-35-0,
A. Symonds 10-0-42-2,
B. Hogg 10-0-51-1.
Overs: 50
Man of the Match: Adam Gilchrist
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